Liverpool have won nine and drawn three of their 13 matches in all competitions since Andoni Iraola took charge, with their only defeat coming against Manchester City on 11 October. Since that loss the Reds have strung together five consecutive victories, a run not seen since the start of last season under Arne Slot.
Anfield atmosphere returns
The connection between the fanbase and the team has visibly strengthened in recent weeks. After a comeback win over Villarreal, Liverpool secured an impressive Premier League victory against high‑flying Brighton and advanced past Chelsea on penalties in the Carabao Cup. "We have a big advantage over other teams because this atmosphere we can create is special," Iraola said.
Rotation and squad depth
Iraola has made three or more starting‑XI changes in nine straight games, a strategy he attributes to his experience as a player coping with congested schedules. "It's more a matter of getting the decisions right, in terms of loading and freshening the legs. We are changing the team a lot from game to game and I think we will continue this approach," he explained. Summer signings Alexander Isak, Bradley Barcola and Florian Wirtz are integrating well, while Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister have improved markedly. Defensively, Ronald Araujo has become a fan favourite and Jeremy Jacquet has settled quickly. Youngsters Rio Ngumoha, Trey Nyoni, Lewis Koumas and James McConnell are also earning trust.
Intensity and tactical shift
Liverpool are averaging 24.9 long balls per Premier League game this season, up from 21 last term. High pressures in the opposition half have risen to 165.9 per game (160.1 last season) and sprints to 128.3 (123.2), though total distance covered is marginally lower at 111.1 km versus 111.7 km. Captain Virgil van Dijk described the new approach: "The 'intensity' word has been said so many times, sometimes a bit of chaos and there is this risk‑reward that's going on now as well. If we press high... it's this sort of intensity that we try to get into our press." Iraola insists "there has to be another level" after training overran on Friday.
Arsenal, who have not won at Anfield since 2012, visit on Sunday at 16:30 GMT. A Liverpool victory would cut the gap to three points; a defeat would extend it to nine after nine games. Jamie Carragher has labelled Liverpool the biggest title challengers to Arsenal, though Iraola maintains it is too early to look at the table.
